Written Answers

Monday 3 April 2000

Scottish Executive

Access to Information

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3497 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 January 2000, whether it will describe, elucidate and specify any instances where ministerial access has been, or may in future be, granted to papers dated before 1 July 1999, particularly in relation to the Agricultural Business Improvement Schemes, both original and revised, and, if not, why not.

Mr Jack McConnell: My answer of 25 January to S1W-3497 outlined the position, and I can, therefore, confirm that pre-1 July 1999 papers relating to the Agricultural Business Improvement Schemes are treated no differently from other pre-1 July papers.

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the electronic tagging of cattle and the associated database and whether it will make a statement on the funding of this development.

Ross Finnie: I believe that Electronic Identification of the Scottish Cattle Herd in tandem with Electronic Data Transfer is capable of delivering significant benefits and would put Scotland’s farming industry at the forefront in world terms, for traceability and efficiency. Following overwhelming industry support to move forward now, I was delighted to announce at the NFUS AGM on Friday 3 March that the Scottish Executive will be taking this initiative forward at an expected cost of up to £6 million over two years.

Caledonian MacBrayne

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to list all the parties approached as part of the review of Caledonian MacBrayne’s fare structure announced by the Minister for Transport and the Environment on 21 January this year, and to outline what timescale has been put on the review.

Sarah Boyack: In January 2000 I announced that I have invited Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd to conduct a review of the effectiveness of its CFARES policy. In doing so I asked the company to consult widely with ferry users and other interested parties. Detailed decisions concerning who should be contacted, when conducting this evaluation, are a matter for the company. I have asked the company to provide its preliminary findings to the Scottish Executive by July 2000.

Child Employment

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children who are employed in Scotland are registered with their local authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This information is not held centrally. The registration of children in employment and the subsequent issue of work permits are prescribed in local authorities’ own bylaws. 16 local authorities have revised bylaws in place following Scottish Executive guidance issued in May 1998, 10 have submitted bylaws for confirmation and six are engaged in local consultation.

Child Employment

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have education officers with specific responsibility for child employment.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This information is not held centrally. The regulation of the employment of children over 13 is prescribed in local authorities’ own bylaws. 16 local authorities have revised bylaws in place following Scottish Executive guidance issued in May 1998, 10 have submitted bylaws for confirmation and six are engaged in local consultation.

Child Employment

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many employers have been prosecuted for employing children in industrial undertakings in the last 12 months, and in total in the last five years.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Figures for employers who have been prosecuted for employing children in industrial undertakings in the last 12 months are not yet available. Between 1994 and 1998 there were no cases recorded. The regulation of the employment of children over 13 is prescribed in local authorities’ own bylaws. 16 local authorities have revised bylaws in place following Scottish Executive guidance issued in May 1998, 10 have submitted bylaws for confirmation and six are engaged in local consultation.

Council Tax

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5027 by Mr Jack McConnell on 17 March 2000, what the standard figure for band D council tax will be for 2000-01, and how that figure was arrived at.

Mr Jack McConnell: For 2000-01 the difference between adjusted Government Supported Expenditure and Aggregate External Finance will be £1,209.586 million, an amount equal to £657 per band D equivalent property.

Counterfeit Goods

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government about action to assist local trading standards officers to combat increases in counterfeited goods offered for sale, given the potential impact of trade in counterfeited goods on manufacturing jobs in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: Intellectual property protection and related activities of trading standards officers are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government about a wide range of matters including those relating to the activities of trading standards officers.

Domestic Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to prevent the disconnection of domestic energy supplies to homes where disabled people, elderly people and young children are resident.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to prevent the disconnection of domestic energy supplies without adequate notice to those affected.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to prevent the disconnection of domestic energy supplies where no arrangement has been made to pay off outstanding debts to energy suppliers by instalments.

Henry McLeish: Scottish Ministers have no functions regarding the supply of gas or electricity, which are reserved matters under sections D1 and D2 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998.

Emergency Services

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many malicious calls were made to the emergency services in (a) Inverclyde (b) Renfrewshire and (c) Scotland in each of the past four years.

Mr Angus MacKay: The available information on malicious false alarm calls to the emergency services is as follows:

  Fire Service

  


Year

  

Inverclyde

  

Renfrewshire

  

Scotland

  



1995

  

190

  

370

  

9,637

  



1996

  

261

  

383

  

9,005

  



1997-98*

  

146

  

258

  

8,059

  



1998-99

  

204

  

306

  

7,513

  



  * Change from calendar year to financial year recording.

  Scottish Ambulance Service

  


Year

  

Inverclyde

  

Renfrewshire

  

Scotland

  



1995-96

  

4

  

8

  

965

  



1996-97

  

12

  

31

  

1,004

  



1997-98

  

16

  

25

  

1,036

  



1998-99

  

16

  

29

  

980

  



  Police Service:

  The figures for the police are not available in the form requested.

  In 1999, the only year for which figures are available, the police in Scotland recorded *33,182 malicious/hoax calls.

  * These figures exclude Northern Constabulary for which no figures are available.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many net additional job opportunities have Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise created in each of the last three years.

Henry McLeish: The figures are as follows:

  Scottish Enterprise

  


Net additional 

  employment supported

  



1997-98

  

30,000

  



1998-99

  

30,000

  



Total

  

60,000

  



  Notes:

  1. No comparable figures are available for 1996-97.

  2. Figures exclude opportunities that would have been created anyway, extra employment created over and above the direct effect of Scottish Enterprise projects and opportunities that have taken the place of existing employment.

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise

  


Direct jobs 

  created or retained

  



1996-97

  

3,451

  



1997-98

  

2,801

  



1998-99

  

3,322

  



Total

  

9,574

  



  Note: Jobs are recorded gross at approval and relate only to the change in the direct employment of the assisted business. On the basis of past experience and evaluation evidence, the network estimates net additional jobs to be around 75% of the gross direct impact.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies entered new export markets in each of the last three years as a result of projects undertaken by Scottish Enterprise and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Henry McLeish: During 1998-99, through Scottish Trade International and the Export Partnership, Scottish Enterprise assisted Scottish companies to enter 470 new markets. No comparable figures are available for previous years.

  As a result of Highlands and Islands Enterprise programmes specifically aimed at assisting companies to develop new sales overseas the following number of companies entered new export markets:

  


1998-99

  

98

  



1997-98

  

70

  



1996-97

  

No 

  figures available

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit will conduct an audit of each sector of industry as to existing regulations and issue proposals for simplifying, reducing or removing such regulations and, if not, why not.

Henry McLeish: A series of seminars is being arranged to enable businesses to present their concerns about the burden of regulation. In the light of feedback from these seminars and issues raised directly with the IRIS unit, the Scottish Executive will consider what further action is appropriate, including whether existing legislation and regulations need to be reviewed to create a more positive attitude to risk-taking and entrepreneurship.

Enterprise

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3734 by Henry McLeish on 27 January 2000, what its estimate is of the number of new businesses created as a result of the measures outlined, for the year from 1 July 1999.

Henry McLeish: Published figures from Scottish Enterprise/Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks indicate that during the three-month period July-September 1999, a total of 4,412 new businesses were created throughout Scotland. The measures referred to in my earlier answer related to improving public sector support to small business generally. No record is kept of their impact on the creation of new businesses.

Environment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the environmental and agricultural implications of low level flying in the Borders.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to low-level flying. Aviation matters, both civil and military, are reserved to the UK Parliament. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including aviation matters.

Europe

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what outcomes have been achieved to date by its EU Office in Scotland House in Brussels, particularly in relation to raising Scotland’s profile in the European Union.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive EU office has raised Scotland’s profile in the EU in the course of its daily work. It has done this, for example, through discussions with representatives of the EU institutions, through seminars, through attending meetings of the institutions, and through meetings with the Brussels offices of other EU regions. Scotland Week, which was organised jointly with Scotland Europa, was a profile-raising event which had a particularly large impact.

Europe

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution its executive agencies or any Scottish public body funded by it have made to the capital and other set-up costs for establishing Scotland House in Brussels.

Mr Jack McConnell: Scottish Enterprise paid £347,000 for the capital and set-up costs for establishing Scotland House, on behalf of Scotland Europa and its members.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the genetically modified (herbicide tolerant) oilseed rape hybrid (marketing consent reference 94/M1/1, granted 28 February 1996 to Plant Genetic Systems NV) or Aventis’ genetically modified T25 glufosinate-resistant maize or any other genetically modified plants have ever been grown or could be grown for seed production in Scotland and, if so, whether it will detail at which sites did these cultivations take place and over what period.

Ross Finnie: To date there have been no GM plants grown for seed production in Scotland.

  GM plants may only be grown in Scotland if they have obtained all the appropriate consents required by the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 which implements Council Directive 90/220/EEC, by the Novel Foods Regulations, and by various Seeds Regulations.

Health and Safety of NHS Staff

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many violent assaults on staff took place for each of the last five years in each NHS Trust.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally, but will be held locally by each Trust.

  As recommended in the Occupational Health and Safety Service Strategy Towards a Safer Healthier Workplace, a working group is currently being set up to identify minimum datasets relating to staff health and safety. These will set employers a minimum standard of data collection, strengthen local monitoring and provide a platform on which to base local decisions and local action.

Homelessness

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the report from the research team carrying out the homelessness review is expected.

Ms Wendy Alexander: We are publishing tomorrow the first report of the Homelessness Task Force which makes proposals for the strengthening of the current homelessness legislation. The Executive accepts the report as providing a basis for legislation in the forthcoming Housing Bill and appropriate provisions will be included in the Bill once the resource implications, including the implications for local authorities, have been assessed in the forthcoming spending review.

  Under the chairmanship of Jackie Baillie, the Homelessness Task Force will now continue with its longer-term review of measures to prevent and tackle homelessness, with a view to submitting a further, and final, report in 2001.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3031 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 9 February 2000, whether it, or any of its executive agencies or any Scottish public body funded by it have undertaken comprehensive cost/benefit analyses for any housing projects to determine the relative cost of funding housing through private finance or the Public Works Loan Board and, if so, whether it will make this information available to the Scottish Parliament and the public.

Ms Wendy Alexander: An analysis solely of the relative costs of finance is not undertaken. Transfers of public sector housing in Scotland are subject to a wider value for money scrutiny which assesses the offer price against an independent valuation of the stock and compares the value of retention in the public sector against the value of transfer to a registered social landlord.

Inverness College

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of the consultancy report by Ben Johnston Hill of Nottingham regarding the financial position of Inverness College.

Henry McLeish: This information is not held centrally.

Inverness College

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent inquiry will be conducted into the financial accounts of Inverness College to investigate (a) the reasons for the accumulated deficit and (b) all capital projects including building works and alteration works, and in particular, (i) why the total cost of "department relocations" for the learning resource centre amounted to £823,000, (ii) where the accounts show any entry in respect of revenue accruing as a result of the sale, to the contractors, of the design of the proposed learning resource centre, (iii) whether the works in the training workshop were commenced and completed prior to obtaining the required Building Warrant under the Building (Scotland) Act 1959 as amended and (iv) whether the cost of construction of the learning resource centre per square meter was in line with the national average costs expected for such work.

Henry McLeish: No. The Scottish Further Education Funding Council is assisting Inverness College to review its current activities, income and expenditure, on the basis of which the college is preparing a plan to recover its financial situation and to eliminate the accumulated deficit.

Inverness College

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that any matters relating to the finances and past management of Inverness College require to be referred to Audit Scotland, and whether it will consult with representatives of the workforce at the college in making such a decision.

Henry McLeish: No. The current management of Inverness College is in discussion with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council regarding the preparation of a recovery plan to address the College’s financial position.

Inverness College

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the total cost of funding of the learning resource centre at Inverness College was £4,806,000 and, if it was not, what was the actual cost, and whether it will (a) provide a breakdown of the cost between the services diversion, departmental relocation, learning resource centre, front-of-house professional fees and value added tax, and (b) provide a breakdown of how the total costs were funded between the following contributory bodies, (i) the Millennium Commission, (ii) European Regional Development Fund, (iii) Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, (iv) Highland Council (v) Inverness College, showing in each case the actual amount contributed by each of the funding bodies.

Henry McLeish: This information is not held centrally.

Justice

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to speed up the process of dealing with breaches of community service and probation orders.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is aware of concerns about delays in dealing with alleged breaches of community service and probation orders in some areas of Scotland. It recognises the need to ensure speedy processing of such breaches in order to maintain public confidence in the acceptability of community disposals and maximise their use by sentencers. It is in discussion with the relevant agencies in order to determine the nature and scale of any problems. In the light of these discussions it should be possible to determine whether any action needs to be taken to deal with delay. I shall write to the member to let her know of the outcome.

Justice

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the review group set up to investigate charging for criminal record checks for volunteers and the financial impact this has on voluntary organisations.

Mr Jim Wallace: The review group, which is chaired by Jackie Baillie, Deputy Minister for Communities, is meeting regularly. Under the agreed remit the group is considering the impact of the introduction of criminal record checks under Part V on voluntary organisations and is reviewing charging issues and policies as they apply to the voluntary sector. Progress is being made and it is hoped that the group will report later this year.

Lip Reading

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many lip-reading tutors there are.

Mr Sam Galbraith: There are 25 practising lip-reading tutors in Scotland.

Lip Reading

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support, financial or otherwise, is available to students enrolled on the "Association of Teachers of Lip-Reading to Adult Recognition" course at Donaldson’s College, Edinburgh.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Students enrolled on the course usually fund themselves or are sponsored by employers. Local authority staff are eligible for funding from the £5 million budget provided by the Scottish Executive for in-service special educational needs staff development and training.

NHS Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cleaners are employed at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow and how many hours they work each day.

Susan Deacon: It is for each NHS Trust to determine the number and type of staff required to deliver an appropriate level of service to meet local patient needs and to organise staff resources accordingly. The detailed information requested is available from North Glasgow University Trust, which is responsible for the management of the Western Infirmary.

NHS Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards are in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow and how often they are cleaned.

Susan Deacon: It is for each NHS Trust to determine the number and type of staff required to deliver an appropriate level of service to meet local patients needs and to organise staff resources accordingly. The detailed information you have requested is available from North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, which has responsibility for the management of the Western Infirmary.

National Parks

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Park Authority which is being established covering Loch Lomond will be given powers to regulate and control the use of motor driven craft and, if so, what form these powers will take.

Sarah Boyack: The recently published National Parks Bill provides an opportunity to discuss powers relevant to National Parks, including by-law making powers.

National Stadium

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on progress with the negotiations over Hampden Stadium.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I am delighted to report that the negotiations to secure a rescue package for Hampden Stadium and its owners Queen’s Park Football Club reached a successful conclusion last Friday evening.

  All the elements of the restructuring were in place by Friday night. The deal was finalised this morning and the transfer of the co-funders’ financial contribution in accordance with the terms of the settlement has now been made.

  The restructuring proposals were formally approved at a meeting of QPFC’s creditors, called by the administrators (originally appointed on an interim basis in January) on 29 March. The administrators will now be applying to the court for the administration order to be discharged.

  I described the broad structure of the rescue package in my statement to Parliament on 16 December 1999. Since December, however, the funding gap has increased for a number of reasons including the worsening financial position of QPFC and its subsidiary TNS. Because of this the Scottish Executive agreed in March to contribute an additional £600,000 and Glasgow City Council agreed to increase its contribution by the same amount. The additional £1.2 million was not sufficient to close the funding gap but the administrators have negotiated successfully with other parties to achieve this. The Directors of both QPFC and TNS are also now fully committed to the deal.

  I hope that confidence in the project will be quickly restored and that the Scottish public and the corporate sector will recognise the benefits of involvement with a magnificent national asset, as existing sponsors such as BT and Coca Cola have done. When the Museum of Football, the lecture theatre and the sports injury clinic become operational and the football bodies move into office accommodation there, Hampden will enjoy a level of daily activity it has never had before.

Nursing

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4249 by Susan Deacon on 22 February 2000, whether it intends to start gathering information on the costs of filing vacant nursing posts centrally and, if not, why not.

Susan Deacon: We have no plans to require Trusts to identify and report the average cost of advertising, recruiting and providing induction training per newly-recruited nurse. The cost of gathering such information in isolation would be prohibitive and would certainly be disproportionate to the benefit which would accrue from such an exercise.

Public Appointments

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people appointed to non-departmental public bodies since May 1997, are (a) under the age of 26 and (b) under the age of 30.

Mr Jack McConnell: Statistical information on the age profiles of appointees since May 1997 is not available as appointments to Advisory NDPBs, Public Corporations and Nationalised Industries only came under the remit of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in October 1998. Prior to this date, data on appointments related solely to Executive NDPBs and NHS Bodies. Data for Tribunals, which have a high turnover of members, are not available.

  The Executive is required to maintain statistics on the age profiles of appointees in accordance with the age bands set down by the Commissioner. These show that during the period from 1 October 1998 to 31 December 1999, a total of 421 appointments were made to these bodies and eight were of people aged 35 or under.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has estimated the level of capital spending on renewable energy projects in Scotland over the next four years and how much of this spending will benefit Scottish companies, particularly manufacturing firms.

Sarah Boyack: No such estimates have been made, but the Scottish Executive believes that Scottish industry should be able to benefit from any opportunities that may emerge over the coming years from further renewable energy developments across Scotland.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times (a) officials and (b) Ministers visited the proposed route for the A701 whilst assessing whether to call in the A701 proposals for a public inquiry.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive officials visited the area on several occasions whilst the Notice of Intention to Develop was being considered by the Scottish Ministers and advised Ministers accordingly.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise or Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited allocated money towards the capital costs of completing the A701 realignment and, if so, when such allocation was made.

Sarah Boyack: Neither Scottish Enterprise nor Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Limited have allocated money towards the capital costs of completing the A701 realignment.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the original challenge funding for the A701 was specifically for developing Private Finance Initiative-based projects and at what stage it was notified that the project would be funded in a conventional manner.

Sarah Boyack: Midlothian Council was awarded £2.5 million capital consent from the Transport Challenge Fund in 1997 to assist with the development of a procurement option for the A701 New Milton to Straiton project under the Private Finance Initiative. In 1999, the council decided to finance the project by way of conventional procurement methods.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Midlothian Council was given additional borrowing consent to finance the future construction of the A701 realignment and, if so, when such consent was given.

Sarah Boyack: No additional funds have been allocated to the council since the award from the Transport Challenge Fund for the A701 project.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the details provided to it regarding Midlothian Council’s proposals for the A701 in the notice of intention to develop described the project as a Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnership project.

Sarah Boyack: No.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4498 by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000, whether there are any binding statutory or legal requirements on Midlothian Council to implement any of the measures to enhance public transport outlined in its notice of intention to develop.

Sarah Boyack: Implementation of the planning permission is a matter for Midlothian Council who have stated that they are committed to pursuing a package of measures including proposals designed to enhance the potential for public transport, walking and cycling along the existing route.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed improvements to the A701 will have any impact on travel levels on the Edinburgh city bypass and what assessment has been made of any such impact.

Sarah Boyack: Road Network Management and Maintenance Division (RNMMD) advise that the construction of the A701 improvement, because of its short length, is in itself unlikely to have any traffic impact on the City Bypass. RNMMD have also asked that, as the detailed design for the scheme is progressed, they are consulted to discuss the effect which the construction work of the scheme may have on the slip roads connecting to the City Bypass.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the costs of the proposals to realign the A701 were a material consideration whilst deciding whether a public inquiry was required.

Sarah Boyack: No.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered details of a formal economic analysis of any benefits of the proposals to develop the A701 when assessing the requirement for a public inquiry and, if so, whether it will provide details of who carried out the analysis and when.

Sarah Boyack: No such details were submitted.

Student Finance

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated number of graduates is who will make a contribution towards the Graduate Endowment in each of the first five academic years of its collection.

Henry McLeish: It is proposed the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme will apply to Scottish domiciled (and EU) students entering higher education in Scotland in 2001-02 onwards. Liability to contribute will commence on graduation and collection is income contingent.

  Based on current numbers of graduates and taking into account exempted groups (such as mature students), the estimated numbers of graduates who will become liable to make a contribution towards the student support and the Graduate Endowment scheme in the first five financial years of its collection are given below.

  


2004-05

  

2005-06

  

2006-07

  

2007-08

  

2008-09

  



5,500

  

15,500

  

15,500

  

15,500

  

15,500

  



  The actual numbers contributing in each year will depend on a) changes in the size of the student population; b) the proportion of people taking degrees, HNC/HNDs, in exempt categories; c) graduate earnings which will effect the rate of repayment and d) the total amount of loan taken out by students.

Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been invested by it and The Scottish Office in the transport infrastructure for the Scottish Borders broken down for each of the last ten consecutive years.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive and Scottish Office investment in transport infrastructure in the Scottish Borders has been mainly in the trunk road network. Capital expenditure on trunk road improvements and repairs in each of the last three completed financial years (the period for which information is available), is shown below. The figures exclude revenue expenditure on routine cyclical and winter maintenance.

  


Year

  

Investment 

  (£ million)

  



1996-97

  

6.2

  



1997-98

  

3.7

  



1998-99

  

1.1

  



  In addition, a contract has just been placed for the £3.7 million Hawick Traffic Relief Scheme on the A7 trunk road. Funding for this will be shared by the Scottish Executive (61%) and Scottish Borders Council (39%). This scheme is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

  The Scottish Executive (and previously the Scottish Office) also provides support for local authority capital investment by way of capital allocations. This is a single allocation covering all services (except housing for which there are separate arrangements) and it is entirely a matter for individual local authorities to allocate the overall amount reflecting local priorities for services. Under the Transport Challenge Fund, a competition administered by the Scottish Office, Scottish Borders Council was awarded additional capital allocations totalling £6.5 million in financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99 for the Kelso Bridge and Bypass project. Since 1998-99 grant of £158,000 per annum has been paid to the council to aid rural public passenger transport services. This grant is principally to be used for revenue purposes. However, in 1998-99 up to 20% and in 1999-2000 up to 10% of the grant could be used for capital purposes. During 1998-99 a grant of £8,000 was made from the Cycle Challenge Fund to the Forestry Commission (Forest Enterprise South Borders Forest District) for the purpose of creating a historical cycle route from Peebles passing through Glentress Woodland Park.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has information on the volume or number of foreign tourists travelling on the trunk road network and, if so, to provide details.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no information on this matter.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of support and subsidy was paid for rural bus services in financial years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and what level will be provided in 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Sarah Boyack: In both 1998-99 and 1999-2000, grants totalling £3.5 million were made available to local authorities for Rural Public Passenger Transport Services and, although these were mainly for rural bus services, local authorities have the flexibility to use the funding to support ferry, air and rail services. On 1 March 2000, I announced that, subject to approval of a Special Grant Report by the Scottish Parliament, the total funding available to local authorities in 2000-01 will be increased by 6% to £3.710 million. The rural transport funding is additional to what local authorities spend on rural bus services as part of their support for bus transport. A research project to evaluate the Rural Transport Funding Package is currently under way and this is due to report in October 2000. This will help the Executive consider the issue and level of funding for rural transport for 2001-02 and beyond.

Voluntary Sector

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the current model of funding of the Councils of Voluntary Services, what are the models proposed under the current review and when it will publish its response to the review.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive currently funds the 42 rural and semi-rural Councils of Voluntary Service. Each CVS receives a varying amount of grant, with the average being about £25,000. There is no single model applying across the country.

  The Review of the CVS network that was published for consultation last November identified three models of funding. The first was matching funding, involving equal contributions from the Scottish Executive and local authorities. The second was funding entirely by the local authorities. The third was a shared funding approach, aligned around community planning boundaries, that would involve the Scottish Executive, local authorities and other key agencies.

  These options and others are currently being considered by the Scottish Executive and a response to the review will issue shortly.

Water Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the commitment given by the Minister for Finance on 9 February 2000 (col. 853), it will reconsider the criteria governing selection of those who are eligible to apply to be members of the water industry consultative committee.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive is committed to broadening the range of people to be considered for public appointments made by Ministers.

  Appointments to the Water Industry Consultative Committees are made by the Water Industry Commissioner, rather than by Ministers. The Commissioner makes appointments in light of Guidance issued to him by Ministers. Among other things, the Guidance requires him to take account of the principles governing public appointments laid down by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. It also places some restrictions on the Committees' membership to make it clear that the Committees are independent of the Scottish Executive and the water authorities in advising the Commissioner on the interests of customers. The Executive believes that these restrictions are important in safeguarding the interests of customers.

Water Industry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review its approval of the increase in salary for the Chief Executive of North of Scotland Water Authority to circa £120,000 and 10% bonus and, if not, why not.

Sarah Boyack: The exact remuneration packages for the Chief Executives will be a matter for negotiation between the board of each authority and the successful candidates. The final packages agreed will be subject to ministerial approval; I have indicated to the authorities what may be considered as an upper limit for their negotiations.